《垂死的偵探》（節選）1

文/阿瑟·柯南·道爾 譯/李家真

《垂死的偵探》（節選）1

文/阿瑟·柯南·道爾 譯/李家真

T he incident left a most unpleasant impression upon my mind. The violent and causeless excitement, followed by this brutality of speech, so far removed from his usual suavity2suavity溫文，謙和。, showed me how deep was the disorganization of his mind. Of all ruins, that of a noble mind is the most deplorable3deplorable糟透的。. I sat in silent dejection until the stipulated time4故事前文中，華生執意去請醫生來給福爾摩斯診病，福爾摩斯嚴詞拒絕，還把華生鎖在自己的房里，叫華生稍安毋躁，等六點鐘到了再說。stipulate規定；明確要求。had passed. He seemed to have been watching the clock as well as I, for it was hardly six before he began to talk with the same feverish animation5animation活力。as before.

[2] “Now, Watson,” said he. “Have you any change in your pocket?”

這事情弄得我難受極了。他先是無緣無故地狂喊亂叫，跟著又一反平日的溫文作派，說了這么一通蠻不講理的話，讓我知道他的心智紊亂到了何種程度。世上的災禍萬種千般，高貴心靈的毀滅最是讓人哀嘆。接下來，我默默地坐在那里，滿心黯然，就這么捱過了剩下的時間?？礃幼?，他跟我一樣，也在密切留意鐘上的時間。六點剛到，他立刻打開了話匣子，神態跟先前一樣亢奮狂躁。

[2]“好啦，華生，”他說道，“你兜里有零錢嗎？”

“Yes.”

“Any silver?”

“A good deal.”

“How many half-crowns6half-crown半克朗?？死蕿橛f幣，1克朗等于5先令，即1/4英鎊。?”

“I have fi ve.”

“Ah, too few! Too few! How very unfortunate, Watson! However, such as they are you can put them in your watchpocket. And all the rest of your money in your left trouser pocket. Thank you. It will balance you so much better like that.”

“有?！?/p>

“有銀幣嗎？”

“多得很?！?/p>

“半克朗的有多少？”

“五個?！?/p>

“哎呀，太少啦！太少啦！你可真是倒霉，華生！不過，雖然只有這么點兒，你還是把它們揣到你的表袋里吧。然后呢，你就把剩下的錢全都揣進左邊的褲兜。謝謝你。這樣的話，你身體的平衡會好得多的?！?/p>

[3] This was raving insanity. He shuddered, and again made a sound between a cough and a sob.

“You will now light the gas, Watson, but you will be very careful that not for one instant shall it be more than half on. I implore7implore懇求；哀求。you to be careful, Watson. Thank you, that is excellent. No, you need not draw the blind. Now you will have the kindness to place some letters and papers upon this table within my reach. Thank you. Now some of that litter from the mantelpiece. Excellent, Watson! There is a sugar-tongs there. Kindly raise that small ivory box with its assistance. Place it here among the papers. Good! You can now go and fetch Mr. Culverton Smith, of 13 Lower Burke Street8這條街是作者虛構的。.”

[3]這已經完全是胡言亂語了。他身子一抖，再一次發出了又像咳嗽又像嗚咽的聲音。

“你去把煤氣燈點上吧，華生，可你千萬小心，最多只能讓燈亮到五成，有一秒鐘超過了都不行。我求你務必小心，華生。謝謝你，這樣正好。不，不用把百葉簾放下來。好了，麻煩你把一些信和報紙放到這張桌子上，放到我夠得著的地方。謝謝你。再把壁爐臺上的一些雜物擺上來。好極了，華生！那邊有一把夾方糖的鑷子，麻煩你用鑷子把那個小象牙盒子夾起來，再把盒子放到這些報紙中間。行了！好啦，你可以去請卡維爾頓·史密斯先生了，他住在南伯克街13號?！?/p>

[4]說實話，我已經不怎么想去請醫生了，因為可憐的福爾摩斯表現出了如此明顯的譫妄癥狀，撇下他興許會有危險?？墒?，眼下他急不可耐地要找他說的那個人看病，態度跟他之前拒絕看病的時候一樣執拗。

[4] To tell the truth, my desire to fetch a doctor had somewhat weakened,for poor Holmes was so obviously delirious9delirious精神錯亂的。that it seemed dangerous to leave him. However, he was as eager now to consult the person named as he had been obstinate in refusing.

[5] “I never heard the name,” said I.

“Possibly not, my good Watson. It may surprise you to know that the man upon earth who is best versed in10versed in sth精通的；熟練的。this disease is not a medical man, but a planter. Mr. Culverton Smith is a well-known resident of Sumatra, now visiting London. An outbreak of the disease upon his plantation, which was distant from medical aid, caused him to study it himself, with some rather farreaching consequences. He is a very methodical person, and I did not desire you to start before six, because I was well aware that you would not fi nd him in his study. If you could persuade him to come here and give us the bene fi t of his unique experience of this disease, the investigation of which has been his dearest hobby, I cannot doubt that he could help me.”

[5]“我從來沒聽說過這號人物?！蔽艺f道。

“多半是沒聽說過，我的好華生哪。聽我說完之后，你可能會覺得驚訝，世上最精通這種病的人并不是一個醫生，而是一位種植園主?？ňS爾頓·史密斯先生是蘇門答臘島上的名人，眼下正在倫敦作客。這種病曾經在他的種植園里蔓延，他的種植園又沒有醫療的便利，于是他只好自個兒研究，研究造成的影響也可謂相當深遠。他這個人生活很有規律，我沒讓你在六點鐘之前出發，就是因為我非常清楚，六點之前，你是沒法在他書房里找到他的。研究這種病是他最大的嗜好，只要你能說動他過來，讓他跟咱們分享他對這種病的獨特體會，那我絕不懷疑，他可以給我一點兒幫助?！?/p>

[6]我把福爾摩斯的這些話寫成了完整連貫的句子，不打算寫出那些病痛引起的間斷，不打算寫出穿插其間的一聲聲

[6] I gave Holmes’s remarks as aconsecutive whole and will not attempt to indicate how they were interrupted by gaspings for breath and those clutchings of his hands which indicated the pain from which he was suffering. His appearance had changed for the worse during the few hours that I had been with him. Those hectic11hectic（臉等）發紅的。spots were more pronounced12pronounced顯著的；很明顯的。, the eyes shone more brightly out of darker hollows, and a cold sweat glimmered upon his brow. He still retained, however, the jaunty13jaunty神氣活現的。gallantry of his speech. To the last gasp he would always be the master.急促喘息、一次次緊握雙拳的掙扎。我進屋之后的幾個鐘頭里面，他的模樣每況愈下，熱病引起的紅斑更加明顯，眼窩更加凹陷，眼睛更加精光灼灼，額上也沁出了一層亮晶晶的冷汗。即便如此，他說話的時候仍然保持著那種洋洋灑灑的豪邁氣概。只要還有一口氣在，他就改不了那副主子的架勢。

[7] “You will tell him exactly how you have left me,” said he. “You will convey the very impression which is in your own mind—a dying man—a dying and delirious man. Indeed, I cannot think why the whole bed of the ocean is not one solid mass of oysters, so proli fi c the creatures seem. Ah, I am wandering! Strange how the brain controls the brain! What was I saying, Watson?”

“My directions for Mr. Culverton Smith.”

[7]“你一定要原原本本地告訴他，你出發的時候我是個什么樣子，”他說道，“一定要把你自個兒對我的印象——一個垂死的人—— 一個垂死的瘋子——分毫不爽地傳達給他。說實在的，我真是想不通，牡蠣為什么沒有把整個海床蓋得嚴嚴實實，這種生物好像特別地能繁殖啊?？?，我說哪兒去啦！大腦控制大腦的方法可真奇怪！我剛才說到哪兒了呢，華生？”

“我拜訪卡維爾頓·史密斯先生的注意事項?！?/p>

[8]“噢，沒錯，我想起來了。我的死活就得看這件事情。你得求他才行，華生。我跟他之間的交情不怎么樣，都是因為他外甥的事情，華生——我懷疑那件事情有蹊蹺，還讓他瞧出了我的疑心。那孩子死得好慘哪。他對我懷恨在心。你得讓他的心腸軟下來，華生。你得懇求他，哀求他，無論如何也要把他請來。他救得了我——只有他！”

[8] “Ah, yes, I remember. My life depends upon it. Plead with him, Watson. There is no good feeling between us. His nephew, Watson—I had suspicions of foul play14foul play奸詐行徑；暴行（尤指謀殺）。and I allowed him to see it. The boy died horribly. He has a grudge15grudge積怨；怨恨。against me. You willsoften him, Watson. Beg him, pray him, get him here by any means. He can save me—only he!”

“I will bring him in a cab, if I have to carry him down to it.”

“就算得把他扛進馬車，我也會帶著他一起回來的?！?/p>

[9] “You will do nothing of the sort. You will persuade him to come. And then you will return in front of him. Make any excuse so as not to come with him. Don’t forget, Watson. You won’t fail me. You never did fail me. No doubt there are natural enemies which limit the increase of the creatures. You and I, Watson, we have done our part. Shall the world, then, be overrun by oysters? No, no; horrible! You’ll convey all that is in your mind.”

[10] I left him full of the image of this magnificent intellect babbling like a foolish child. He had handed me the key, and with a happy thought I took it with me lest he should lock himself in. Mrs. Hudson was waiting, trembling and weeping, in the passage. Behind me as I passed from the flat I heard Holmes’s high, thin voice in some delirious chant.

[9]“你可千萬別這么干。你首先要說動他來，然后就自個兒回來，搶在他的頭里。理由你可以隨便編，只要能不跟他一起回來就行。記住啊，華生。你不會讓我失望吧，以前你可從來沒讓我失望過啊。毫無疑問，一定是有一些天敵限制了牡蠣的繁殖。你和我，華生，我們兩個也難辭其咎啊?？墒?，難不成，我們應該任由牡蠣在世界上泛濫成災嗎？不行，不行，那樣太可怕了！你一定得把你自個兒的印象全部傳達給他?！?/p>

[10]從他身邊離開的時候，我滿腦子都是這位才智卓絕的人物像呆傻兒童一般胡言亂語的景象。之前他已經把鑰匙交給了我，于是我靈機一動，帶著鑰匙出了門，免得他把自個兒鎖在房里。哈德森太太等在過道里，一邊瑟瑟發抖，一邊抽泣。正要下樓的時候，我身后傳來了福爾摩斯又尖又細的嗓音，唱的是一段不知所云的歌謠。

The Dying Detective (Excerpt)

By Arthur Conan Doyle

1譯文節選自李家真譯中華書局版《福爾摩斯探案全集》第六卷。據時光網報道，BBC劇集《神探夏洛克》第四季計劃2017年1月開播，該季第二集名為The Lying Detective，改編自原著故事The Dying Detective。在這篇故事中，為了把以病菌殺人的卡維爾頓·史密斯繩之以法，福爾摩斯裝病裝瘋，騙得身為醫者的華生信以為真，然后又讓華生去請史密斯來看病，以便誘使史密斯招認罪行。史密斯之前試圖以同樣的病菌害死福爾摩斯，見到華生上門求助，自以為奸計得逞，于是欣然來到福爾摩斯家里，在“垂死的”福爾摩斯面前炫耀自己的犯罪手段，由是伏法。